Electric fuse clamp



Sept. 23, 1947. LINCKS 2,427,916

ELECTRIC FUSE CLAMP Filed Feb. 5, 1944 Inventor: George F. Lincks, by JV His ttoT-ney.

Patented Sept. 23, 1947 ELECTRIC FUSE CLAMP George F. Lincks, Pittsfield, Mass., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York,

Application February 5, 1944, Serial No. 521,252

2 Claims. 1

My invention relates to electric fuse devices, andmore particularly to fuse links particularly adapted to be suspended from overhead line conductors in the nature of a line tapping device.

Line tapping devices usually are provided with some means adapted to be engaged by a maintenance pole or tool for manipulation of the line tapping device to and from a connected position on an overhead electric conductor. Such line tapping devices are often used to install an expulsion type fuse. Heretofore such electric line tapping devices including a fuse have usually comprised a fuse holder with rather elaborate means for fastening such fuse holder to the overhead line. Within the fuse holder there was usually provided the conventional type of socalled universal fuse link. My present invention is primarily concerned with a new and improved fuse link or fuse link arrangement which is adapted to be connected directly to an overhead conductor without the necessity of a fuse holder and elaborate attaching means, as in the prior art constructions.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved fuse link or fuse link arrangement which is adapted to be connected directly to an overhead conductor which is simple and inexpensive, and yet fully satisfactory in operation.

Further objects'and advantages of my invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize my invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

3 For a better understanding of my invention,

reference may be had to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating how one embodiment of my invention may be applied to an overhead conductor; Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the embodiment of my invention illustrated in Fig. 1 looking at the em bodiment along the axis of the conductor to which it is connected; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 except taken perpendicular to the overhead conductor; while Fig. 4 is a view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3; Figs. 5 and 6 are views similar to Figs. 2 and 3. respectively, of another embodiment of my invention; Figs. 7 and 8 are side and front views, respectively, of another embodiment of my invention; and Figs. 9 and 10 illustrate steps in attaching the fuse link of Figs. 7 and 8 to an overhead conductor.

Referring now to Fig. 1 of the drawing, I have 2 cated at I0, which is illustrated in the service position connected to and suspended from the line wire or overhead conductor l l. The fuse link forming a portion of the fuse link arrangement I0 is adapted to have a flexible conductor portion l2 thereof either directly connected, or connected through an additional length of less flexible conductor, to one terminal H! of an electrical apparatus generally indicated at H, which is suitablymounted upon a pole l5 which also supports the overhead conductor H. The electrical Apparatus It may comprise a transformer or any other suitable device. Fig. 1 is provided only to illustrate how the fuse link or fuse link arrangement of my invention may be usefully employed.

Referring now to Figs. 2, 3 and 4 which illustrate in detail the fuse link arrangement l0 shown in Fig. 1, there is disclosed a hot line clamp, or line tapping device, generally indicated at l6. This hot line clamp comprises a pair of jaws I1 and I8, pivotally related as indicated at 19. A screw eye 20 is rotatably mounted in jaw l8 and is adapted to threadedly engage a threaded opening in jaw ll. The screw eye 20 is adapted to be engaged by an insulated line tool so that rotation thereof will cause opening and closing of the wire engaging member or hot line clamp l6. In order to support the fuse link the jaw ll is provided with a bifurcated portion 2|, best shown in Fig. 4., Between the prongs of the bifurcated portion 2| there is supported a fuse link retaining member 22 which is specifically illustrated as a. spring clip in Fig. 4.

My fuse link arrangement I0 is so constructed 5 that the conventional well known fuse link generally referred to as a universal" fuse link, such as is illustrated for example in United States Letters Patent 2,283,701-Smith, assigned to the same assignee as the present application, may be employed. Such a fuse link 23 is illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 and comprises the button-head upper terminal 24 connected to a shank 25. The lower terminal of the fuse link comprises the flexible conductor I2. Shank 25 and flexible conductor I2 are interconnected by a suitable fusible element (not shown), which is preferably enclosed within tubular member 26 formed of insulating material. It should be understood that insulator member 26 is not essential, although it usually forms a part of a universal fuse link. The shank 25 has a circular cross section just beneath the buttonhead 24 which is adapted to be inserted between the prongs of the bifurcated portion 2| of jaw I8 and held in this position by fuse link shown a fuse link arrangement generally indiretaining means22 during the time that the hot connected to the overhead conductor ll.

line clamp or wire engaging member I6 is being When the wire engaging member I6 is clamped to conductor ll, as best shown in Fig. 2, the conductor H is pressed into good electrical contact with buttonhead 24 of universal fuse link 23, whereupon the fuse link would be held in position even though fuse link retaining member 22 were not provided. Fuse link retaining member 22, however, is very satisfactory for holding the universal fuse link in position prior to the time that connection with the overhead conductor is made and during which time the fuse link and conductor l2 must be manipulated to and from the position shown in Fig. 1 while at the end of a pole or maintenance tool of considerable length.

It will be observed that with the arrangement disclosed in Figs. 1 to 4, a very simple construction compared to prior art devices is provided for directly connecting a universal fuse link to an overhead conductor, which construction eliminates the costly, complicated fuse holder and associated apparatus of prior art construction.

A simplified construction of a fuse link arrangement may be desirable in certain cases. For example, the fuse link terminal itself might provide the wire engaging member or hot line clamp, rather than to provide a separate hot line clamp as in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. Accordingly, in Figs. and 6, there is illustrated a fuse link 30 having an upper terminal which also comprises the wire engaging member and includes a supporting means for holding the fuse link on the pole for manipulation to the position illustrated in Fig. 1. terminal thereof, is substantially identical with the universal fuse link 23 described above, and the shank, flexible conductor and the preferable fuse tube are designated by the same reference numerals as in Figs. 2 and 3. Integrally connected to the shank 25, however, is the upper terminal 3| of the fuse link 30 which provides the line clamping means and includes resilient members 32 and 33 which are joined at 34 so as to provide a resilient clamp so that conductor H may be inserted therebetween. Pivotally mounted to the end of resilient arm 33 remote from joint 34 is the eye 35, which is adapted to be latched with resilient arm 33 to firmly clamp the fuse link 30 to conductor ll so that terminal 32 is in good electrical contact with conductor ll. As best shown in Fig. 6 the resilient arms 32 and 33 have been specifically illustrated as forked members whereby eye 35 may more readily be pivotally connected to resilient arm 33 and furthermore more easily latched to resilient arm 32 which is provided with the latching member 32' for engagement with a portion of the eye 35.

Fuse link 30 may be connected to an overhead conductor such as II by moving the terminal 3| into position with the conductor ll between the resilient jaws 32 and 33. This is accomplished by an insulated pole engageable with the eye 35. When the conductor H is between the jaws 32 and 33 the eye 35, which is initially in the position indicated by the dotted position in Fig. 5, is rotated about pivots 33' to the position indicated by solid lines in Figs. 5 and 6 to engage the latching portions 32 of resilient arm 32.

In Figs. 7 and 8 there is disclosed a fuse link 40 which is generally similar to fuse link 30 of Figs. 5 and 6 in that it comprises a flexible lower terminal l2, and preferably a fuse tube 26 within which is mounted the fusible element. The upper terminal, however, comprises two eyes 4| and 42 The fuse link 30, except for the upper which are connected to the upper end of the fusible element by conductors 43 and 44, respectively. The conductor 43 is slightly longer than the conductor 44 so that when these conductors are bent to the position indicated in Fig. 9 a jaw or clamp is provided between which conductor I I may be inserted. An insulated hot line tool, such as is indicated at 45 in Figs. 9 and 10, may be inserted through the eye 42 so that the fuse link may be manipulated to the position where it can be hung from the overhead conductor H, as illustrated in Fig. 9. Thereupon the upper terminal of the fuse link may be mechanically and electrically connected to conductor H by inserting the hot line tool 45 through both loops 4i and 42 and twisting the conductors 43 and 44 together as indicated in Fig. 10. With this arrangement a very simple, inexpensive fuse link is provided which may be directly connected to the overhead conductor in a simple manner without danger to the operator.

While I have shown and described particular embodiments of my invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be' made without departing from my invention and I therefore aim in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A hot line clamp for connecting a fuse link of the type comprising a buttonhead terminal having a shank and a flexible cable portion interconnected by a fusible element directly to an overhead conductor comprising a pair of jaws for engaging said conductor, means for causing said jaws to be clamped together and thereby electrically connect said conductor and one terminal of said fuse, a slot in one of said jaws to accommodate said fuse link so that said buttonhead terminal is between said jaws in a position to engage said conductor, and means in said slot for engaging said shank to hold said fuse link in position while said first mentioned means is operated.

2. A hot line clamp for connecting a fuse link of the type comprising a buttonhead terminal and a flexible cable portion interconnected by a fusi ble element directly to an overhead conductor comprising a pair of jaws for engaging said conductor, means for causing said jaws to be clamped together and thereby electricall connect said conductor and one terminal of said fuse, a slot in one of said jaws to accommodate said fuse link so that said buttonhead terminal is between said jaws in a position to engage said conductor, and a spring clip in said slot for holding said fuse link in position while said first mentioned means is operated.

GEORGE F. LINCKS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,004,621 Walsh June 11, 1935 2,115,592 Smith Apr. 26, 1938 2,218,397 Hermann Oct. 15, 1940 2,356,352 Pittman Aug. 22, 1944 2,103,056 Birkenmaier Dec. 21, 1937 2,200,496 Fox May 14, 1940 

